Method for the dressing of mineral conglomerates or mixtures



mm M 1924.

G. SPACKELER ET AL METHOYJ FOR THE DRESSING OF MINERAL CONGLOMERATES 0R MIXTURES Filed Aug. 4, 1923 Fig.1

Patented Uct. id, 192d.

enemie fiPAGI IELLEB, or GLAUS'lJI-IAL, AND nan-t strum, or BERLIN-pennant, GERMANY.

METHOD FOR THE :onnssme or MINERAL oonotoivrnimrns 0a marshes.

Application filed August 4. 1923. Serial No. 655.767.

Ta all it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Gross SrAoKnLnR, a citizen of Germany, residing at Clausthal, gammy, and I, KARL GLINZ, a citizen of Germany, residing at B'erlin-Dahlem, Germany, hai e invented certain new and use- ,fful. Iin'proye'mehts in a Method for the pressing erMinerei Conglomerates or Mixtures, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to a process for the dressing o'f crested other grown mineral conglomerates. According to the commonly used dressing of ores and similar grown mineral conglomerates the blocks of ore are crushed, previously to the dressing, in a crushing machine, tor instance in a stone breaker, crushing mill or ball mill to a deterinined size of grain, whereupon the dressing is elllected by means of settling processes or the like, and the average products thus obtained are further crushed. This treatment does not take into consideration the natural condition of the ores or congloinerates as the ore is broken indiscriminately so that each grain of the crushed product contains substantial proportions of all of the different constituents of the ore. In this manner average products are obtained which have to be subsequently treated wherefrom results a more extensive crushing of the ores and a more considerable undesirable formation of slime than would be necessary according to the natural condition ofthe ore.

This invention has for its obj ectto avoid as much as possible an unnecessarily extensive crushing of the ore and conglomerates in dressing and to utilize the natural separation j oints the 'ore'to facilitate the dressing proce'ss. V v

The improved method is especially adapted for ores which have been produced by the depositing of different mineral constituents individual mineral grains consisting sub stantially wholly o t lromogenous masses of the respective "constituents, homogenous substances being for instance cemented by a binding rn'atter. As examples of such ore oolithic ore or so-called bean ore may be cited. With such ares, even a they break in solid lumps, fine fissures exist between the surfaces or the sires-em individual mineral bodies homogenous per se and between these and the binder, Isaid fissures being; filled with air, or the binding matter itself consists er conglomerates permeable to air, for instance sand-like conglomerates.

The method according to this invention has for its object todestroy artificially, by a convenient treatment, the cohesion in these issures or to enlarge these fissures so that the mineral conglomerate falls to pieces au- 'tomatically or may be cleaved by mechanical means with the expenditure of little eae'rgy.

According to the invention, the material to be dressed is submitted in a closed chamber to the action of vacuum in order to evacuate the air. Atthe same time "or later on water is made to flow into the fissures to replace the air, or water is forced into the fissures by fluid pressure. The vacuum and the pressure may be applied constantly or alternately. The hydraulic pressure may for instance vary between zero and minus, or between zero and plus or between plus and minus. The disintegration of the material may be facilitated by simultaneous shaking or knocking movements.

This method is especially adapted tor the treatment of "ore in which smooth separation surfaces exist between the several constitu'ent's, for instance iron ore found in many sedimentary deposits in "Germany and other countries. These ores consist of granular pieces generally cemented by a binding amt terwhich is mostly calcareous or siliceous.

The usual dressing of these ores presents the diiiiculty that, when crushing machines are used, the ore nodules are completely crushed so that great quantities of the ore distintegrate in the shape of a slime which can be scarcely utilized, nodules "of marl and fine grained ore particles also being formed notwithstanding a great consum tion of water, which nodules impede the dressing, as they are almost incrushab1e owing to their viscosity and as on theorher hand they cannot be dissolved in water. The formation or such nodules is avoided according to this invention, 'tlreore being; at the same time crushed easily to form a product which contains almost all iron hodulesand beans as single pieces free free at mixtures. ln experiments made "with the iron ore which had been disintegrated and separated according to this invention an essentially greater quantity or ore lumps was obtained in the jigger and in the spitzk'a'sten with subsequent eiassiryiag, viz

-30% were contained, was reduced to 10-12%. The coarser kinds of ore amounted to of the whole concentrate, all ores over 1 mm. size of gra n being called coarser ores. Also 1n the ores of less ,thanl mm. size of grain an essential reduction-of the silicic anhydride and a concentration up to 4.0%

*ironwas possible; In all-the exeperiments which have been formerlymade with these 0res such results as obtained according to the improved method have never been obed o The treatment for loosening the bonds [may be continued until the conglomerate disintegrates into its constituents.

With other conglomerates of this kind which do not disintegrate readily this treatment is followed by a mechanical treatment for cleaving the material in accordance with its natural depositing surfaces.

A further. object of the invention is to exert upon the material in mass 21- kneading pressure in order to further loosen the bonds until the different constituentsof the con glomeratei are mutually shifted. The result I V is that the lumps of ore are not. accidentally broken but are separated along the natural surfaces of separation. As these surfaces of separation are mostly identical with the limiting surfaces of the. different mineral I ,gconstituents, the several mineral grains of r :japproximately homognous character re- 40 main undivided, the conglomerate being dis- I integrated into its constituents. By the crushingprocess an almostcomplete dressing is therefore obtained at the greatest possiblesize" of the grains, so that the subsequent concentration is considerably simpli- *fied. v. 1

' e I This-stepof the improvedmethod may be ,executed in various manners; a tightly a kneading treatment.

I 5- :It is evidently advisable to this case continuously. VVit-h' this object in view the working chamber may have the [shape of a launder in which theiplunger.

h 0 packed heap of'material, the structure of 5 which has been loosened, may for instance be submitted in a closed or semi-closed chamber under-moderate pressure by a plunger to works. The inlet and outletareopen and i 3 by bothl duced by th the advance of the material in mass isprofall or by' a water current or This manner of crushing may be made the ;'basis of a continuous dressing method, a

"concentration process known per se following directly on the disintegration of the work also in mineral mixture which has been previously loosened. The water designed to make the material advance may be preferably used for this purpose, its flow being regulated in such a manner that the material is sized according to the specific weight. A classifying device of' known type may further be connected with the launder which conveys the disintegrated material, whereby the grains of different sizes of the material are separated for instance by means of grading sieves. The remaining pulp contains in suspension valuable particles of the mixture together with worthless ones, which possess little tendency to precipitate. The pulp may therefore be worked up by difl'erentlating separation of the suspended particles by means of flotation or with the aid of chemical reagents.

Several forms of construction of the ap paratus designed for the application of the improved method areshown by way of example in the accompanying drawing, wherein: v I

FigsQl and 2 show two species of appa ratus with closed pressure chamber forintermittent working. v

Figs. 3 and 4 show a launder shaped chamber for continuous working in plan view and in section on 1ineA B of Fig. 3

respecti vely.

Figs. 5 aud'6 show a similar form of construction as Figs. 3 and 4 respectively in plan view and in. section on line C-D of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows a fourth form of construction in plan view. 3

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a quantity a off the loosened conglomerate is charged into, a cylinder 6 in which it is submitted to Inioderate pressure from two sides by plungers 0. By the heaping of the material the breaking of the several constituents is avoided; the constituents shift on one another along the natural fissures betweenthe layers so, that they are separated from one another without application of'considcrable energy. The

pressure of the plungers maybe-constantly progressing or intermittent or alternating. In the form of construction shown in Fig. .2 the cylinder 1) is closed at the lower end and the kneading is eii'ected by one single plunger 0. I v t Accordingfto Figs. 3 and 4 a launder d open at both ends is used together with a plunger 0 working in the same. The walls of the launder as well as of the plunger are preferably sloping to the lower end in order to increase the action of mutually shifting and kneading the different constituents of the mixture. The material in bulk is'admitted at one end of the launder under the plunger audit is conducted towards the outlet end by the fall in the launder or by the action of a water current while being continuously submitted to a kneading treatment by the plunger. 7

In the "form of construction shown in Figs. 5 and" 6 the arrangement is similar, but the plunger leaves the launder partly open at the upper end. The kneading effect is not impaired as by the mutual friction the particles are prevented from giving way.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 7 the launder as well as the plunger are of zig-zag-shape. The cross section is the same as in Fig. 4.

What we claim is:

1. The process of preparing conglomerate ore for recovery of valuable constituents thereof, consisting in subjecting the same intermittently to vacuum until the bonds between granules thereof are loosened.

2. The process of preparing a conglomerate ore for recovery of valuable constituents thereof, consisting in subjecting the same intermittently to vacuum until the bonds between granules thereof are loosened, and subjecting the material so treated to mechanical agitation to complete disintegration of the mass.

3. The process of preparing a conglomerate ore for recovery of valuable constituents thereof, consisting in subjecting the same intermittently to vacuum until the bonds between granules thereof are loosened, subjecting the material so treated to mechanical agitation to complete disintegration. of the mass, and adding liquid to the mass to promote disintegration.

4. The process of preparing conglomerate ore for recovery of valuable constituents thereof, consisting in subjecting the same alternately to vacuum and to superatmospheric pressure until the bonds between the granules thereof are loosened.

5. The process of preparing conglomerate ore for recovery of valuable constituents thereof, consisting in subjecting the same alternately to vacuum and to Superatmospheric pressure until the bonds between the granules thereof are loosened, and subjecting the material so treated to mechanical agitation to complete disintegration of the mass.

6. The process of preparing conglomerate ore for recovery of valuable constituents thereof, consisting in subjecting the same alternately to vacuum and to superatmospheric pressure until the bonds between the granules thereof are loosened, and adding liquid to the mass to promote disintegration.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures.

GEORG SPAGKELER. KARL GLINZ. 

